Recycle Christmas tree to help coast

Published: Thursday, December 26, 2013 at 9:26 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, December 26, 2013 at 9:26 a.m.

Terrebonne Parish and Thibodaux are participating in the Christmas Tree Recycling Program to help prevent coastal land loss.

The trees are collected and placed along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to provide a wave break to reduce erosion.

To participate, Terrebonne residents are asked to place their Christmas trees in the area of their normal garbage pickup from Jan. 2 to Jan. 7. Residents may also drop off their trees any time before Jan. 7 at any residential drop-off sites at 263 Ashland Landfill Road; 651 Isle Cuba Road, Schriever; or 160 Crochetville Road, Montegut.

In Lafourche, Thibodaux residents can place take their trees to the dumpster placed in the parking lot at the northwest corner of the Thibodaux Civic Center from Friday until Jan. 7.

Only green trees without decorations will be accepted. Flocked trees are not allowed.

The Christmas tree program is an extension of a state program that used Christmas trees to help prevent wetland erosion. That program ran for almost 20 years until the state cut its budget in 2009, deeming it ineffective. But local leaders revived the popular program because it was a way to build land that engaged residents.

Each year, the parish collects used Christmas trees. The trees help slow waves in areas suffering erosion and help build new land. The trees collected from residents are placed into retention fences, called cribs, which have been constructed along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near the Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge in Terrebonne.

Placed inside the cribs, the trees allow water to move through but break the waves that erode wetlands. The trees also slow the water so it drops silt and sediment, helping to sustain wetlands.

Eventually, the trees decompose. The program keeps trees out of the landfill and uses them for something positive for the coast.

<p>Terrebonne Parish and Thibodaux are participating in the Christmas Tree Recycling Program to help prevent coastal land loss.</p><p>The trees are collected and placed along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to provide a wave break to reduce erosion.</p><p>To participate, Terrebonne residents are asked to place their Christmas trees in the area of their normal garbage pickup from Jan. 2 to Jan. 7. Residents may also drop off their trees any time before Jan. 7 at any residential drop-off sites at 263 Ashland Landfill Road; 651 Isle Cuba Road, Schriever; or 160 Crochetville Road, Montegut.</p><p>In Lafourche, Thibodaux residents can place take their trees to the dumpster placed in the parking lot at the northwest corner of the Thibodaux Civic Center from Friday until Jan. 7.</p><p>Only green trees without decorations will be accepted. Flocked trees are not allowed. </p><p>The Christmas tree program is an extension of a state program that used Christmas trees to help prevent wetland erosion. That program ran for almost 20 years until the state cut its budget in 2009, deeming it ineffective. But local leaders revived the popular program because it was a way to build land that engaged residents.</p><p>Each year, the parish collects used Christmas trees. The trees help slow waves in areas suffering erosion and help build new land. The trees collected from residents are placed into retention fences, called cribs, which have been constructed along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near the Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge in Terrebonne.</p><p>Placed inside the cribs, the trees allow water to move through but break the waves that erode wetlands. The trees also slow the water so it drops silt and sediment, helping to sustain wetlands.</p><p>Eventually, the trees decompose. The program keeps trees out of the landfill and uses them for something positive for the coast.</p>